Disposable container cap

ABSTRACT

A disposable container cap for soft drink bottles which is removable by hand pressure without an implement is provided including a cup portion joined through a skirt portion to a circular flange having an upwardly bended position along a circular bend line at an angle of about 45* to the cap axis, the flange portion having a plurality of elongated flutes and the areas defined between the flutes being provided with elongated recesses along the bend line and a bended bead arranged on the peripheral edge of the flange.

United States Patent [72] lnventor Humberto Vivas Calle 7A, Sur No.19-45, (Estadio) Cali, Colombia [21] Appl. No. 860,260

[22] Filed Sept. 23, 1969 {45] Patented June22,l97l

[S4] DISPOSABLE CONTAINER CAP 7 Claims, 10 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl 215/40, 215/46, 215/39 [51] Int. Cl 865d 23/00, B65d 53/00[50] Field ol'Search 215/40, 39, 46

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,373,434 4/1945 Tate 215/463,441,162 4/1969 Julius 215/46 Primary ExaminerGeorge T HallAttorney-Browdy and Neimark ABSTRACT: A disposable container cap forsoft drink bottles which is removable by hand pressure without animplement is provided including a cup portion joined through a skirtportion to a circular flange having an upwardly bended position along acircular bend line at an angle of about 45 to the cap axis. the flangeportion having a plurality of elongated flutes and the areas definedbetween the flutes being provided with elongated recesses along the bendline and a bended bead arranged on the peripheral edge of the flange.

PATENTEU JUH22 IHYE SHEET 2 UF 3 PATENTFUJUH22I87: 3586197 SHEET 3 OF 3DISPOSABLE CONTAINER CAI This invention broadly relates to containercaps and particularly to disposable caps for soft drink bottles and thelike.

Heretofore, for capping the bottles of gas containing beveragesmanufacturers have depended on the use of the socalled crown caps type.When handling this kind of cap, the capping machine strongly presses thechanneled skirt cap portion in an inward radial sense against theperipheral outwardly projected bead surrounding the opening of thebottle. This great inward pressure often results in the bottle failureby cracking or crushing of the same. Moreover, for taking off the bottlecap, necessarily use must be made of an appliance specially designed tocarry out the removal of the cap.

Therefore, an object of the instant invention is to provide a disposablecap of simple and inexpensive manufacture for bottles of standard typeused for gas containing beverages or liquids, which affords a tightsealing and which is capable of resisting without failure any internalpressure which is normally found within the soft drink bottles and thelike even under severe jerking conditions such as are found duringhaulage.

It is another main object of this invention to provide a cap providedwith means for withdrawing by hand from its tight sealing position onthe bottle, that is, the tight capped bottle with the cap according tothe present invention can be taken off without the use of devices of anykind.

Still another object of the instant invention is to provide a cap forbottles containing soft drinks and the like which cap is designed to beapplied in tight sealing position onto the opening of the standard typebottle without the need for exerting radial pressures against the beadof the bottle opening.

The cap according to the invention is manufactured from tinplate of thekind normally used to make caps of the crowntype and is fashioned to itscharacteristic shape by stamping operations.

According to the present invention, there is provided a circular capcomprising a cup portion integrally joined to a flange portion, saidflange portion being provided with a plurality of equally spaced apartflutes extending substantially throughout the periphery thereof, saidflutes extending about to one half of the height of the skirt portion ofthe aforesaid cup. The flange, in the cap as manufactured for cappingbottles, is turned upwardly defining with the cap axis an angle of about45, and along the field line between the cup and flange portions, theareas defined between flutes are provided with longitudinal recessesdirected lengthwise of the fold line. To finish the cap, in order to geta tight sealing of the bottles, there is arranged on the bottom thereofa circular cork gasket, or gasket disc from some other material havingresiliency characteristics similar to those of the cork.

The cap can be applied to bottle openings of standard type using amechanism comprising means to firstly exert a downward pressure thereonenough to properly press the cork gasket or the like against the bottleopening and secondly comprising means to exert a stress on the flange tocause it to assume a horizontal position, that is a position defining anangle of 90 to the cap axis. Such capping mechanism will not bedescribed in detail herein as not being an essential part of theinvention.

By the term standard type bottle, as used hereinbefore and as will beused thereafter and in the claims is meant a bottle provided with aperipherical outwardly extended bead of rounded surface beneath whichthere is a groove.

For tight sealing of the bottle for maintaining the cap in positionagainst the internal pressure, the cap according to this invention, whenin open position, that is, as manufactured and before being applied tothe bottle opening, has a bend line between the cup and flange portionsalong which there are a plurality of elongated recesses, as hereinbeforementioned, on a circle of greater diameter than that of the cup andwhich, when the flange is bended along the bend lines to take a rightangle to the cap axis when the cap is fixed in position,

decreases its diameter, whereby automatically exerting a compressiveeffect against the bead bottle and particularly against the grooveexisting beneath the bead. Such comprehensive effect is positivelymaintained due to the contraction exerted by the flutes, which flutesduring the capping operation have been expanded to some extent andthereafter in the sealing state have a tendency to assume its normaltightened state, thus maintaining the cap fixedly and tightly over thebottle opening due to such tightening force.

Moreover, the tightening action due to such flutes is assisted andpermanently maintained due to the presence of a peripherical'rim aroundthe flange which works as a tension In the removal of the cap from thebottle, a finger pressure is exerted beneath the flange and the cap isdislodged due to the fact that the compression ring diameter imposed bythe plurality of recessed upon and beneath the bead surrounding thebottle opening is enlarged thus expanding to some extent the flutes bothin the cap skirt portion and its flange portion.

'Because this stress on the walls of the flutes and on the bend linearranged between the cup and flange portions is repeated, the capforming metal is stress weakened on such flute walls and bend line suchthat the cap becomes non reusable, and thus the cap according to theinvention is a disposable cap.

In the above description a cap which is applicable to standard-typebottles has been disclosed. It is to be understood, of course, that thecap according to the invention is also suited to bottles of differentdiameters, either less or greater whenever said bottles are providedwith a peripherical extended bead surrounding the bottle opening.

For complete understanding of the invention it will be described nowwith reference to the accompanying drawings which show the invention andin which:

FIG. I is an elevational view of the cap according to the invention:

FIG. 2 is a top plan view of the cap shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cap;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view from the bottom of the cap;

FIG. 5 is a top perspective view of the cap;

FIGS. 6 and 7 schematically show, for the sake of completeness for theunderstanding of the performance of the invention cap, in elevationalview A and in sectional view B, the sequence of operations for properlyapplying the cap and tightly sealing the bottle opening; and

FIG. 8 shows the cap in its sealing position.

Referring now to the drawings, the cap comprises a cup portion C with avertical depending skirt E the lower end of which is joined to a flangeportion F along a circular bend line.

As particularly shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, the flange F as manufactured bystamping, that is before its setting up in sealing condition, has anupturned portion forming an angle of about 45 to the cap axis. Theperipheral edge of the flange F is provided with a folded rim 1 which isuseful for the purpose set forth below.

Flange F is provided with a plurality of flutes 4 equally spaced apart,radially directed and which extend substantially from the rim 1 andwhich extend beyond the bend line to halfway the height of the skirt E.On the bend line arranged between the cup portion C and the flangeportion F, the areas defined between said flutes 4 are provided withelongated recesses 2 (FIGS. 3 and 4) directed along said bend line.

The cup flange F forms an acute angle 3 (FIG. 3) of about 45 in the capas manufactured for subsequent use, and the leading surfaces of recesses2 are on a circle of greater diameter than that of the circle on whichsaid leading surfaces of said recesses will rest when the flange F iscaused to be in position to the cap axis, that is, in position assumedby the cap when set up in sealing position over the bottle opening. Thereduction of the circle diameter on which the leading surfaces of recess2 are arranged, such reduction achieved when flange F is brought to its90 position as above mentioned, causes an extension on the cap surfaceand said extension is uniformly distributed over flutes 4, which due toa springing back action of the metal tending to cause them to assumetheir original distended state, exert a compression force on the ringformed by the leading surfaces of the elongated recesses 2. Thiscompression action exerted by flutes 4 is constantly maintained due tothe presence of the bended rim 1 arranged in the peripheral of flange F.

In order to carry out the tight sealing effect of the cap ontocontainers for gas containing liquids, a capping mechanism as shownschematically in FIGS. 6 and 7 of the drawings is used. With the cap setup over the bottle opening, as shown in FIG. 6, a downward pressure isexerted on the upper surface of said cap to deform the sealing gasket Denough to achieve a tight sealing and thereafter the sealing mechanismwill exert'a force under flange F to cause it to assume a right angle tothe cap axis as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 in which position the cap isshown in its end setup position. As shown from FIGS. 7 and 8, the ringforming the bend line between cup C and flange F portions and underwhich the leading surfaces of recesses 2 are arranged, in sealingposition, is seated on the groove arranged under the periphericalprojected bead surrounding the bottle opening and is maintained in sucha tight position, when flange F is in a horizontal position, by thecompression forces uniformly exerted under said ring by the action ofthe flutes 4 which have been extended to some extent during the cappingoperation, said compressive forces being positively maintained undersaid ring due to the limiting action exerted to the bead or ring 1arranged in the periphery of the flange F.

With the above arrangement, the cap provides a tight sealing over thebottle opening, which remains against internal pressures as found withinsoft drink containers even if under severe jolting during handling. Asaforesaid mentioned, no details are set forth about the cappingmechanism because this is not under the scope of the invention and it isenough to say that such mechanism includes means to exert pressure onthe cap and also means to bend the flange F.

As above mentioned, a particular characteristic of the cap according tothe-present invention is that the bottle or similar container onto whichthe cap is applied can be uncapped by hand, that is without the use ofappliances for taking off a cap of the crown-type. For taking off thecap of the invention, it is simply necessary to apply an upward handpressure under flange F. This force thus applied distorts the conditionof the flutes 4 from the cap sealing state in the sense of extending thediameter of the tightening ring, due to which the cap is dislodged fromits sealing position.

It should be noted that during capping and taking off the bottle orsimilar container, the tinplate from which the cap is formed undergoesrepeated stresses along the bend line existing between cup C and flangeF portions, likewise along the edges of flutes 4 such stresses causingthe flutes to lose by stress its springing condition and the tight ringalong the bend line cannot be further able to achieve a tight sealing,thus the cap is a disposable cap.

It should be understood that some changes, additions and suppressionscan be done such as in the number and extension of flutes and capdimensions and it is understood that such changes will be under thescope of the invention as claimed.

What I claim is:

l. A tinplate disposable cap dislodgable by hand from its sealingposition, for use in tightly capping bottles of standard type withinwhich there is an internal pressure, comprising a cup portion ofcircular cross section integrally joined along its lower end through askirt portion to a circular flange, said flange as manufactured havingan upwardly bended position to said cup portion along a circular bendline in such a manner that the flange forms an angle of about 45 to thecap axis, said flange portion being provided with a plurality ofelongated flutes radially extended, which flutes extend substantiallythroughout the width of the flange and extend beyond said circular bendline to about halfway the height of said skirt portion, the areasdefined between said flutes being provided with elongated recesses underand directed along said bend line, and a bended bead or rim beingarranged on the peripheral edge of said flan e. I

. A disposab e cap according to claim 1 lnteriorly comprising againstits bottom a sealing disc which forms a tight sealing against the bottleopening when a downwardly pressure is applied and wherein said tightseal is maintained on such bottle of standard type when the cap is insealing position assuming a right angle position to the cap axis.

3. A disposable cap according to claim 1 wherein said circular bend lineof the cap prior to use has a diameter greater than that of the bottleopening and wherein after compressive force has been applied to saidflange the diameter of said circular bend line becomes less than thediameter of said bottle opening.

4. A disposable cap according to claim 2 wherein said circular bend lineof the cap prior to use has a diameter greater than that of the bottleopening and wherein after compressive force has been applied to movesaid flange to a right angle position to the cap axis the diameter ofsaid circular bend line becomes less than the diameter of said bottleopening.

5. A disposable cap according to claim 2 wherein said cap is dislodgablefrom said bottle by applying pressure beneath said flange.

6. A disposable cap according to claim 3 wherein said cap is dislodgablefrom said bottle by applying pressure beneath said flange.

7. A disposable cap according to claim 4 wherein said cap is dislodgablefrom said bottle by applying pressure beneath said flange. 1

1. A tinplate disposable cap dislodgable by hand from its sealingposition, for use in tightly capping bottles of standard type withinwhich there is an internal pressure, comprising a cup portion ofcircular cross section integrally joined along its lower end through askirt portion to a circular flange, said flange as manufactured havingan upwardly bended position to said cup portion along a circular bendline in such a manner that the flange forms an angle of about 45* to thecap axis, said flange portion being provided with a plurality ofelongated flutes radially extended, which flutes extend substantiallythroughout the width of the flange and extend beyond said circular bendline to about halfway the height of said skirt portion, the areasdefined between said flutes being provided with elongated recesses underand directed along said bend line, and a bended bead or rim beingarranged on the peripheral edge of said flange.
 2. A disposable capaccording to claim 1 interiorly comprising against its bottom a sealingdisc which forms a tight sealing against the bottle opening when adownwardly pressure is applied and wherein said tight seal is maintainedon such bottle of standard type when the cap is in sealing positionassuming a right angle position to the cap axis.
 3. A disposable capaccording to claim 1 wherein said circular bend line of the cap prior touse has a diameter greater than that of the bottle opening and whereinafter compressive force has been applied to said flange the diameter ofsaid circular bend line becomes less than the diameter of said bottleopening.
 4. A disposable cap according to claim 2 wherein said circularbend line of the cap prior to use has a diameter greater than that ofthe bottle opening and wherein after compressive force has been appliedto move said flange to a right angle position to the cap axis thediameter of said circular bend line becomes less than the diameter ofsaid bottle opening.
 5. A disposable cap according to claim 2 whereinsaid cap is dislodgable from said bottle by applying pressure beneathsaid flange.
 6. A disposable cap according to claim 3 wherein said capis dislodgable from said bottle by applying pressure beneath saidflange.
 7. A disposable cap according to claim 4 wherein said cap isdislodgable from said bottle by applying pressure beneath said flange.